Fundably vs YouLend: which embedded lending partner should you choose?
Fundably is the better embedded lending partner for platforms with a mixed user base, offering 50+ lenders, 8 product types and up to 30% revenue share. YouLend is a stronger fit for platforms whose users are predominantly card-taking merchants, offering a single MCA product on its own balance sheet.
Fundably and YouLend are frequently compared by UK platform teams evaluating embedded lending partners. They approach the same problem very differently:
- YouLend is a single lender offering white-label merchant cash advances on its own balance sheet
- Fundably is a commercial finance broker offering white-label access to 50+ lenders across eight product types
This comparison focuses specifically on platforms evaluating which to build with.
Product coverage
YouLend
YouLend offers one product: the merchant cash advance (MCA). Revenue repayments are taken as a percentage of card or payment terminal transactions. This product works well for businesses with consistent card revenue, including retail, hospitality, ecommerce and food & beverage operators.
It does not work well for:
- B2B business with invoice-based revenue
- Businesses with irregular or seasonal card income
- Businesses that don’t accept card payments at all
- Businesses looking for fixed-rate term finance
Fundably
Fundably matches to 50+ lenders offering:
- Term loans (secured and unsecured)
- Merchant cash advances
- Revenue-based finance
- Invoice finance and factoring
- Revolving credit facilities
- Asset finance
- R&D tax credit advances
- Startup loans
Every user who applies through a Fundably-embedded integration is matched across the full panel, not limited to one product or one credit appetite. For a broader look at the multi-lender vs single-lender decision, see our guide on multi-lender vs single-lender embedded lending.
Approval rates
This is the most commercially meaningful difference for platform teams.
YouLend’s approval rate for a typical mixed business (not payment-platform-specific) is typically 20–35% of applicants. For a platform with users that include B2B services, SaaS businesses or professional services firms, that means 65–80% of users who click “apply” are declined.
Fundably’s multi-lender matching typically achieves 60–70% approval rates across the same business mix, because declined applicants are automatically routed to other lenders with different credit appetites.
Revenue per funded user
A funded Fundably deal generates up to 30% revenue share for the platform partner. A YouLend partnership typically generates 10–15% of the MCA amount.
On a £50,000 deal:
- YouLend: commission avg. £500–£750 (10–15% of loan amount)
- Fundably: commission avg. £2,000–£3,000 (20–30% of arrangement fee on a £50k deal)
Combined with higher approval rates, the revenue per 100 applicants is typically 2–4x higher with a multi-lender model.
Integration
YouLend: API integration, typically requiring a few weeks of development work. A YouLend integration is generally a higher-effort custom build.
Fundably: Three options:
- iFrame embed (copy-paste, no engineering, live in <48 hours)
- Web Component (production-ready, configurable via props)
- REST API (full control, custom UI)
White-label
Both YouLend and Fundably support white-label. With Fundably, users only see your branding unless you opt to display lender branding explicitly.
Compliance
Fundably is a NACFB member commercial finance broker. Commercial credit broking to UK Limited companies sits outside the FCA regulated perimeter. As a platform partner, you do not need your own FCA authorisation for the embedding activity with either provider. For more on how to embed lending into your platform, see our guide on how to embed lending in your platform.
Side-by-side
| Fundably | YouLend | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Multi-lender broker | Single lender (MCA) |
| Products | 8+ types | MCA only |
| Lender count | 50+ | 1 |
| Platform revenue share | Up to 30% | ~10–15% |
| iFrame embed | ✓ | ✗ |
| Setup fees | £0 | Not public |
| Time to go live | <48hrs | Weeks |
| Best user profile | All business types | Card-taking merchants |
| Approval rate (mixed users) | 60–70% | 20–35% |
Which should you choose?
YouLend is the better fit if: your users are predominantly payment-taking merchants (ecommerce, retail, hospitality, food & beverage) who transact via card terminals or payment processors, and you already have a data-sharing relationship with YouLend.
Fundably is the better fit if: your users include any mix of business types beyond card-taking merchants; you want to maximise approval rates; you need a faster time to market; or you want to earn a higher revenue share per funded deal.